Dromore High School

1. Dromore High School • Controlled • Co-educational • Non-selective • 11-16 years • 50th anniversary • Pilot for revised curriculum

2. Specialist status in Science • The Key stage 3 aspect of our bid was based around the implementation of the new Northern Ireland or revised curriculum • In Science, at a whole school level, with partner post-primary schools and with our 3 primary school partners

3. New Science Schemes of Work

4. An ICT/resource technician

5. A presentation suite

11. Specialist school targets at KS3 • Addressed classroom practice at department and whole school level • Influenced school development plan and departmental action plans • Addressed all aspects of the ‘Big Picture’

12. Raising Standards at KS3 through the revised curriculum • An opportunity to teach the skills necessary to enable pupils to – • - be better thinkers and therefore improve understanding • - manage themselves and their learning • - apply their learning to everyday life

13. REVISED CURRICULUM Learning to Learn Nearly 2 years on ……….. ASK YOURSELF How have my lessons changed? What am I doing differently? The Big Picture Your Subject Strand Breakdown of Skills Assessment for Learning CHECK!

14. CONTEXT To ENGAGE Learning Apply a context for relevance Is there an everyday application? Does the topic address any of the Key Elements? ASK YOURSELF Is there anything more to be covered than there would have been before? CHECK!

15. Curriculum Objectives • To develop the young person as an individual • To develop the young person as a contributor to society • To develop the young person as a contributor to the economy and environment

16. Some Key Elements • Personal understanding • Mutual understanding • Personal health • Cultural awareness • Media awareness • Economic awareness • Education for sustainable development

17. LEARNING INTENTIONS To EXPLAIN Learning We are learning to - WALT ASK YOURSELF What do you want the pupils to have learnt? Which skills can be developed? Not more than 3 learning intentions One involves the acquisition of a skill CHECK!

18. Assessed skills • Communication • Using Maths • ICT

19. Thinking, problem solving and decision making Being Creative Managing Information Self management Working with Others Thinking & PersonalSkills Capabilities

20. SKILLS To ENHANCE Learning Subject, TS&PC, UM, Com, ICT ASK YOURSELF Are there opportunities to develop any skills? Do I need to teach the skill first? Which sub section of the skill area is being addressed Is it a ‘thinking’ or ‘doing’ skill CHECK!

21. ACTIVITIES To EMBED Learning Active learning – pupil thinking What do I want the pupils to understand about this topic? Are there ways to make them think first and work it out before you tell them? ASK YOURSELF Prepare questions for effective questioning Structure group work/paired work and plan strategy for active learning CHECK!

22. SUCCESS CRITERIA To ENSURE Learning What I’m looking for- WILF ASK YOURSELF What do I require of the pupils? How am I going to make this known to the pupils? • ‘The more explicit you are about what you expect the students to do in terms of – • behaviour - methods of working • what a good piece of work looks like • The more likely the students are to deliver want you want’ • Chris Baker CHECK!

23. ASSESSMENT To EVALUATE Learning Formative / Summative/ Peer How will I know that learning has taken place? Is there an opportunity for peer / self assessment? ASK YOURSELF Methods- work sheet, task completed, questioning, observation, test Feedback – comments?, marks? Competency and Complexity CHECK!

24. Is it happening in the classroom? • Schemes of work • Whole school INSET on requirements • Audit of cross-curricular skills • Lesson observation during PRSD • Pupil pursuit by senior managers or curriculum team

25. Key points • Teaching skills improves learning • PRSD can be used as a monitoring tool • There can be recognisable differences in lessons • Classroom observation is necessary